• Advocate for the Arts
• Local, Regional and National Advocacy Resources
• Contact your Legislators
• Arts Advocacy: The Basics
• Why the Creative Economy Matters

The arts have a profound economic impact on the city.

• Central Ohio’s Creative Economy sector (nonprofit and for-profit arts, design, performance, media and marketing industries):
  • Generate over $3 billion in business receipts each year ⁴
  • Employ 25,000 people with $932 million in employee wages ⁴
  • Pay $67 million in state and local taxes ⁴
  • If our creative economy was a public company, it would be the ninth largest in Columbus, according to Business First’s 2008 Book of Lists.
• Area nonprofit arts and cultural organizations:
  • Generate $330.39 million annually for the local economy, or three times the economic impact from Ohio State sports. ¹
  • Employ more than 11,000 people ¹
  • Create 17% more jobs and generate 32% more in event-related spending, excluding ticket prices, compared to communities of similar size ¹
  • Attract more than 6 million people to events each year ¹

The arts attract and retain new talent and business.

• We must attract and retain young professionals to sustain our region’s workforce and attract new businesses to central Ohio.
  • Because of lower birth rates 10 years ago, there will be 16,000 fewer 35-to 49-year-olds in central Ohio in 10 years unless we change that trend. ²
• These younger workers (Generation Y) choose where they want to live first, and where they want to work second. ²
  • Quality of life and job availability are the deciding factors when choosing a location. ²
  • Recruiters cite the vibrancy of the local culture and arts community as a major attraction to new talent outside Columbus. ²

The arts are important to residents and visitors.

• In Franklin County, 33% of residents feel the arts play a major role in their lives. ³
  • Nearly 75% would like to attend live performances more often. ³
• 86% of Columbus residents think it’s important for the city to financially support the arts. ³
• 95% of Columbus residents believe the arts greatly enhance the city’s quality of life. ³

The Greater Columbus Arts Council is vital to the success of the region’s arts and culture industries.

• GCAC provides the city and county with an objective system to distribute arts and culture funding.
• GCAC supports creative artists and arts organizations of all sizes – both large and small – which is a valuable asset in building a healthy cultural community.
• Through Operating and Project Support grants, funded by the City of Columbus, GCAC supported 54 arts and cultural organizations in 2008. Further, we supported 48 organizations through the 2008 Franklin County Neighborhood Arts grants, which provide grants to projects for arts, social service and other community organizations. ⁵
• Operating Support funding provided by GCAC accounts for approximately 3.4 percent of the organizations’ total budgets. ⁶
• In 2008, organizations funded by city money through GCAC matched approximately $3.5 million dollars with nearly $145 million dollars from other sources. ⁶
• Organizations funded by GCAC annually reach more than 2 million residents and visitors. ⁶
• Programs such as the Columbus Arts Festival reach more than 400,000 residents and visitors each year, and we serve nearly 100,000 students through our arts education. ⁵